Counter for platen printing-presses.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER J. HOOD, OF MUSCODA, WISCONSIN.

COUNTER FOB- IPLATEN PRINTING-PRESSES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER J. H001), a citizen of the United States, residing at Muscoda, in the county of Grant and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counters for Platen Printing-Presses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to registers, more especially of that type which count the number of movements of a machine; and the object of the same is to produce a counting device of this type applicable to a platen printing press and so constructed that it will operate to register one higher number every time the platen opens after having made an impression excepting when the platen opens while the throw off is set so that no impression was made although the printing,press continued. its movements. This object is carried out by the construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a Gordon printing press of the platen type with my improved count-er attached, Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the counting attachment disconnected from the press and its parts at rest, showing the spring in dotted lines as thrown out of action, Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the same taken from the left of Fig. 1, showing the parts in full lines ready for action and in dotted lines as thrown out of action by setting the throwoff; Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective detail of the lower end of the bracket.

In the drawings the letter Gr designates broadly an ordinary Gordon printing press of the platen type, whose platen P moves just forward of the feed table F as usual, and T designates the ordinary form of throwoff having a handle I-I standing within ready reach of the operator and which when drawn forward to set the throw-01f Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 18, 1911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Serial No. 650,012.

The present invention is designed to count the number of impressions made by a press so equipped. These impressions are not strictly equal in number to the number of times the platen moves forward toward the type form, because when the throw-01f is set the platen moves but does not move quite sufficiently far to produce an impression; and therefore my invention includes throw-out mechanism actuated by the throw-0E lever when set, so that although the press continues to move no record is made on the counter. I lay no claim herein to the construction of the press or its throwoff, nor to the specific construction of the numbering machine N and its operating lever L, and I have used reference numerals for the parts of my invention described below. Said numbering machine may be that ordinarily employed in cyclometers, odometers, and the like, or any similar type of numbering machine operated by the movement of a lever L, and it is only necessary that it have a dial or face whereon is registered the number of impressions made by the press in order that they may be seen by the operator.

Coming now more particularly to the present invention, the numeral 1 designates a bracket which may have a foot 2 screwed upon the feed board F, or which may be held thereon by a clamp 3 drawn toward the bracket by a screw 4; and the upright arm of this bracket rises from the rear of said feed board while its horizontal arm projects forward therefrom, preferably past the left end of the platen P and between the latter and the throw-off T where it will be out of the way of the operator and yet within sight. Secured upon the front end of the forward arm of the bracket is a numbering machine N whose lever L rises from its left side in the present instance, and this machine is of such construction that when said lever is moved forward (or away from the reader looking at Fig. 1) one higher number will be registered. Across the bracket is secured a yoke, preferably comprising one fixed member 6 with an upturned ear 7 at its right end, and another member 8 removably secured by a bolt or screw 10 to the fixed member and having an upright ear 11 at its left end. In these ears is journaled a double crank-shaft- 12, the right hand end of which has a finger 13 standing in rear of the platen P and in position to be swung when the latter moves toward the operator, and the left hand end of which has a finger 1 1 with an outturned tip 15 projecting out past the throw-off lever T so as to be engaged thereby when this throw-off is set for use. Between its cranks the center of the crank-shaft is bowed up wardly as shown at 16, and a link 17 flexibly connects this center with the upper end of the lever L. A spring 18 secured upon the bracket has a hook 19 at its outer extremity which removably engages said crank shaft and holds its bowed center normally raised, and when it is desired to throw this counting device out of action the hook may be disengaged therefrom as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It is to be understood that I have described the construction shown in the drawings, although considerable departure from the details thereof may be made without sacrificing the principle of my invention.

In operation the device is attached to the feed board F of the printing press about as shown in Fig. 1, and it is quite obvious that each time the platen P moves open or toward the reader the right-hand finger 18 will be moved with the platen and the bowed center of the shaft will be depressed, so that the lever L of the numbering machine is drawn forward and the latter counts one more. However, when the throw-off is drawn toward the operator by means of the handle H to set it so as to prevent the platen from closing completely, the finger at the extremity of the left-hand crank will be moved in advance of the movement of the finger at the right-hand side thereof and hence the platen on its next subsequent movement (and any other movements so long as the throw-off remains set) cannot actuate said right-hand finger and therefore no counting will be done by the numbering machine. By preference I employ a stop 25 projecting from one member of the yoke or from the bracket and engaging one of the fingers to prevent the spring from raising the looped center of the crank-shaft too high. The purpose of having the yoke in two parts, adjustable one upon the other is in order to permit them to be set so that the crank shaft will move with great freedom; and similarly the purpose of having the lower end of the bracket formed with a clamp is in order that it may be attached to platen presses of a variety of types. These and other adjustments may be made to permit my attachment to be used with all kinds of rotary printing presses, and such changes in details as are necessary to carry out this idea may be made without departing from the principle of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a platen printing press, and its throw-off; of a numbering machine, actuating mechanism therefor standing normally in position to be struck by the platen as the press closes, and a finger connected with said mechanism and adapted to be engaged by the throw-off when the latter is set and which when so engaged holds said mechanism out of position to be struck by the platen.

2. The combination with a platen printing press and its throw-off; of a counter comprising a numbering machine, and a rock shaft connected therewith and having one finger adapted to be struck by the platen to rock the shaft and actuate the numbering machine and another finger adapted to be engaged by the throw-off when the latter is set and which when so engaged holds the first finger in posit-ion where it will not be struck by the platen.

3. The combination with a platen printing press and its throw-off; of a counter comprising a numbering machine, a bracket detachably connected with the press and on which said machine is mounted, bearings carried by said bracket, a double crank shaft journaled in said bearings and having a finger at one extremity adapted to be struck by the platen, a finger at the opposite extremity with a projecting tip standing in the path of the throw-off, and a bowed center, and connections between the latter and said numbering machine.

1. The combination with a platen printing press and its throw-off of a numbering machine having a lever, a bracket mounted on the press, a yoke carried by said bracket and having upturned ears provided with bearings, a double crank shaft journaled in the latter and having a finger at one extremity adapted to be struck by the platen, a finger at the opposite extremity with a projecting tip standing in the path of the throw-off, and a bowed center, and a link loosely connecting said bowed center with the lever of the numbering machine.

5. The combination with a platen printing press and its throw-off of a numbering machine having a lever, a bracket mounted on the press, a yoke carried by said bracket and having upturned ears provided with bearings, a double crank shaft journaled in the latter and having a finger at one extremity adapted to be struck by the platen, a finger at the opposite extremity with a projecting tip standing in the path of the throw-off, and a bowed center, a spring detachably engaging said crank shaft to hold lts bowed center normally raised and its fin- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set gers normally thrown forward, a stop promy hand in presence of two subscribing witjecting from the yoke and limiting the turnnesses.

ing of said crank shaft under the influence ALEXANDER J. HOOD. 5 of said spring, and a link loosely connecting Witnesses:

said bowed center with the lever of the num- R. M. ORCHARD,

bering machine. R. B. MOINTYRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

